


The Clock Keeps Ticking

by sjjwewkkjosomwas



Series: Trust Fate [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates, blood mention, college student wonwoo and mingyu, company dancer hoshi, first part of the soulmate aus, they live together in Seoul, wonwoo and hoshi as bestfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 12:29:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12132522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sjjwewkkjosomwas/pseuds/sjjwewkkjosomwas
Summary: Wonwoo and Mingyu have the most stressful soulmate markers one could ask for: a timer. Imagine staring at the clock just slowly tick by, anticipating the moment you can meet you soulmate. Well, only Mingyu really watched the clock everyday while Wonwoo kept the date in his head and pushed the whole notion out if his mind. Now, Wonwoo's 21st birthday was approaching fast which meant his soulmate would meet him soon. But how would they meet?





	1. He Wears His Heart on His Wrist

**Author's Note:**

> Starting my soulmate AUs so here is the first part, a multi chapter so anticipate the next chapter.

There are so many ways one can meet their soulmate it is a little overwhelming in the beginning. Some see a red string that goes on for miles, never being able to follow it for it will disappear. Some have first word tattoos on random places on their body. Lucky ones have matching tattoos with their soulmates, allowing quick and simple locating now that there is an app dedicated to it. Unlucky ones are connected through pain, feeling any accident or intentional pain that befalls their soulmate.

  
The most stressful cases are like that of Wonwoo: a clock on his wrist. Four sets of numbers separated by colons to represent years, days, hours, and minutes which count down until the day he will meet his soulmate. On that day, when one locks eyes with their soulmate, a feeling will come to them, a feeling unlike anything they have ever felt yet very familiar.

  
At first glance, it looks like a simple black tattoo of numbers until one watches closely and notices the minutes tick away. If one is lucky, they will have a small amount of numbers. However, one unlucky story Wonwoo read when he first comprehended his soulmate key told of a woman who wouldn't meet her soulmate until she was eighty-six. The numbers on here wrist sent her into a depression as her friends around her found their other half while she was left sleeping around to fill the hole in her heart. One day, while cooking, she couldn't take the numbers on her wrist and burned herself with scalding water.  
Wonwoo was thankful the numbers on his wrist counted down to his twenty-first birthday. In fact, it was only two years away now, but Wonwoo tried not to concern himself with the numbers on his wrist. Right now, he was concerned with his graduation and getting to enjoy summer with his friends before going to college in Seoul.  
He checked his uniform in the mirror one more time, adjusting his tie and sleeves, before going downstairs. His mom and dad were waiting with a camera. Wonwoo shied away from the camera until his mom berated him, telling him to pose in front of the wall where she had set up some flowers. She snapped away until Wonwoo begged her to let him go already.

  
"Alright," she sighed. "We will see you at the school later okay?"  
Wonwoo gave her a kiss on the head before he grabbed his stuff and slipped on his shoes. He said goodbye and took his time getting to school. It would be his last morning walk to the school.

 

* * *

 

"Last day, Wonwoo," Soonyoung said as he sat down in the desk in front of Wonwoo.

  
"That it is," Wonwoo replied, not looking up from his book.

  
"After this you get to go to Seoul and live right in the heart of the city. Be surrounded by other bookworms at Seoul National."

 

Wonwoo smiled. "Yeah well you are going to the big city too ya know. Gonna become some company's dancer."

  
"That's the dream," Soonyoung said dreamily, head falling back to look up at the ceiling. "You better still meet up with me and get your head out of the books once in awhile."

  
Wonwoo set down his book and said, "Don't worry. I will always make sure to meet up with you on the weekends."

  
Soonyoung looked back at Wonwoo, a smile on his face too. He put out his hand to high five Wonwoo. At that moment, the music note tattoo on Soonyoung's wrist showed from under his sleeve.

  
"Think you will meet your soulmate at the school? Music note makes sense for the arts school you are going too."

  
"Once again, that's the dream. Can't believe no one on that damn app had a tattoo like mine. You would think they would add their tattoo when it is so easy to find people that way."

  
"Maybe they don't really care about it. Or maybe they are just traditional about stuff. Like let fate decide and all."

  
"Wow," Soonyoung sighed. "To think I would get the no care, traditional person when it comes to soulmate stuff."

  
Wonwoo laughed at Soonyoung's suffering. It would be weird not being around Soonyoung everyday. Hopefully, he could make friends at his new school, but he was an introvert so easier said than done.

 

* * *

  
  
"Okay move closer together boys. 3,2,1!" Wonwoo and Soonyoung's mothers snapped pictures at the same time. The two were outside their school, in front of the sign, snapping graduation photos like everyone else.

  
"Hold up your graduation certificates for this one!"

  
The two sighed, but complied with the demands. After another ten photos, they took a couple family ones and said goodbye to each other.

  
"I'll message you later," Soonyoung called after Wonwoo. The other offered a smile and wave. Just like that, Wonwoo's high school days had ended, university awaiting him now.

 

* * *

  
  
Mingyu sat at his dinner table, fan blowing at him to help him escape the hot, humid air, staring at his wrist. They were down to two years now. Seems July 17 was going to be an important day in the future.

  
"Always staring at those numbers. They won't go down faster just from staring," his mom said as she came into the room.

  
"I know, but I can't help but watch them tick away. There is such little time now."

  
"Ha. Wait until it gets to just one day. Now, come help me make dinner."

  
"Alright," Mingyu said, going to help his mom make dinner like he usually would.

  
As they prepared the meal, Mingyu noticed the quote written on his Mom's forearm: **"Hello, my name is Kim Jinyoung."**  
It made him laugh as he knew the one on his dad's forearm read, "Why couldn't you have a unique name?"

  
"What's so funny?"

  
"Just the quote on your arm. The story makes me laugh."

  
"Well, what I first said to him was very justified. Kim and Jinyoung are very common. How was I supposed to find him easily? I had to rely on fate, unlike you."

  
"What do you mean? Fate is going to bring us together," Mingyu laughed, understanding what she meant.

  
"You know what I mean, Mingyu. You know when you are going to meet them. I had to wait for your dad to drop out of the sky."

  
"Or introduce himself at the start of an interview," Mingyu giggled.

  
"Needless to say, I did not get that job."

  
Mingyu laughed even more. He hoped his meeting with his soulmate would be just as memorable as his parents was.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo made his way through the side streets of Seoul until he came to a glass door between a coffee shop and a convenience mart. He typed in the code and the door slowly slid open. Wonwoo was sure it wouldn't open one day.

He checked the mailboxes inside the secondary door, moving past all the ads until he found a bill, and made his way up the stairs to floor four. He knew the elevator wouldn't be working again. Even after all this time of climbing, he still felt slightly out of breath when he reached the top steps.

Wonwoo pressed in the code for his door and made his way inside, slipping off shoes for slippers.

The entrance was a bathroom on the left and a small kitchen on the right. In front of him was the bedroom/living/everything else room. In the middle of the wall on the right was a TV on top of a dresser, two desks on either side of it. Across from that was two beds separated by another dresser and a small table between the beds and the kitchen. He noticed Soonyoung was in the attached laundry area aka a part of the room separated by a sliding glass door where one could open the windows to let their clothes dry after they were washed in the smallest washer known to man.

Wonwoo slid open the door to alert Soonyoung of his presence. The other gave a wave and smile as he hung up a couple shirts and shorts.

“Those probably won't dry well with how humid it is,” Wonwoo observed.

“Probably, but I am gonna need more clothes later this week so might as well wash now. Give them two days to dry.”

Wonwoo nodded, closing the glass door again. He went over to his desk and set his bag down. He was swamped with TA work not to mention he was starting tutoring sessions next week for all the freshmen about to enter their second year. He already knew he was going to be rubbing his temples endlessly like how his TA had when he took sessions after his freshmen year.

“Why do you look dead?” Soonyoung asked as he came back into the room.

“I think it's just the air around me, but soon I practically will be. I have my tutoring sessions starting next week, and I can already tell this batch of students is going to be a pain.”

Soonyoung plopped down on his bed and began to stretch his arms. “I feel you. We just got a new dancer at the company, and the kid's got spunk..”

“But?”

“It is a bit too much. He feels like he is already the best. Not like he is one of the ones going on the concert tour.”

“Oh yeah, you have that coming up.”

“Five shows in Japan starting in a week. Had to learn so many dances for this group.”

“They difficult?”

“Eh. The group is relatively new and none of them trained long so not really.”

Wonwoo cocked an eyebrow. “How are they going to Japan already then?”

“Not like it is dome tours, Won. They got two Japanese members anyway so they are popular there.”

Wonwoo spun around in his desk chair. “Seems like you know them well.”

“I had to teach them half their dances,” Soonyoung replied as he got up to boil some water. “Want some ramen?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you buy some from downstairs then?”

Wonwoo halted his chair and stared at Soonyoung. His look must've frightened the other because Soonyoung immediately reached into his pocket to pull out some money. “Not asking you to pay for my stuff.”

Wonwoo shook his head as he walked to the door and slipped on some shoes. “Doesn't cost a lot. Just messing with you.”

“If only your face made it seem like you were joking,” Soonyoung called to him as Wonwoo shut the door.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo picked out two different flavors for each of them and grabbed some sodas before he went to pay. As he was pulling out his money the cashier said, “Your time’s almost up.”

Wonwoo froze at the threatening statement. He didn't even want to look up at the cashier to see if he might know him. Then again, he couldn't think of a person he has done wrong enough that someone would want to kill him. All he could muster was a simple, yet shaky, “Excuse me?”

The cashier gave a chuckle, realizing his statement was a bit threatening. “I meant the time on your wrist. It is almost up.”

Wonwoo checked his wrist, an action he usually doesn't do, and saw that it was less than a week left on it now. He breathed a sigh of relief as he handed the man the money, glad it was just an observing statement and not a threat.

As he made his way back up the stairs, he began to think about the reality of his situation. 5 days, 9 hours, and 35 minutes until the day of his birthday and the day he would meet his soulmate. Would he meet them at the place Soonyoung was throwing the party for him? Or would it happen earlier in the day? A passing stranger he would run into like in the dramas?

Wonwoo chuckled at these sudden romantic and hopeful thoughts. Very unlike him to be excited by the thought of his soulmate and yet there was a nervous knot twisting in his stomach. He paused in front of his door as he began to let his mind wander to the darker side of things. He could encounter them in a horrible way, give a bad first impression, and completely screw up a wonderful moment. What if his soulmate rejected them? Wonwoo had heard stories of soulmate rejections, but it never occurred to him that he could be one.

As his breathing began to pick up with his heart rate, Soonyoung suddenly opened the door, both of them jumping in surprise.

“I- you were taking awhile. I was coming to look for you.”

Wonwoo blinked a couple times before coming back to reality. “Ah yeah, I was uhm talking to the cashier.”

Soonyoung stepped aside as Wonwoo entered, looking at him curiously, letting the door shut behind him. “What did you talk to him about?”

“My timer. He just mentioned how it is getting close to the day.”

“Ah yeah, it is huh.” Soonyoung laughed, forgetting about whatever weird feeling was just in the air. “Think you will meet them at the party? I told people they could bring friends to fill up the place ya know.”

Wonwoo laughed nervously, voice shaky as he responded, “Maybe I will. Never know what fate will bring.”

Soonyoung didn't pick up on Wonwoo’s tone, and, instead, began to sulk about his own soulmate. “Why can't they just put up their tattoo like I did? They make it so hard to find them.”


	2. The Zero Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day the two meet, but what could fate have in store for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took a month to finish but school...and work...and writer's block

Mingyu was staring at his wrist as he sat on the couch while Seokmin was running around the apartment and Minghao was staring at his outfit in the mirror- trying to decide on the right hat and glasses combo- and sighing repeatedly. Seokmin’s company friend had invited them to a party for his friend, who apparently didn't have enough friends of his own because Minghao and Mingyu were roped into going along. Seokmin assured them he got approval to bring them, but Mingyu felt weird about it. The only reason he agreed to go was because it was in a busy area, and he was bound to meet his soulmate if he wandered around there.

“Finally,” Minghao said, taking out his phone and bringing to to Mingyu. “Take a photo of my outfit. My followers are gonna love this one.” 

Mingyu slid off the couch, trying to find the right full body angle for Minghao. He framed the white wall and mirror behind Minghao to help show off the back of his outfit before taking a couple shots. Minghao retrieved his phone and scrolled through the different photos.

“Wow. The lighting is so good in here I may not even need a filter,” Minghao commented. 

Mingyu moved back onto the couch and looked at his wrist again: all zeros. Today was the day he would meet his soulmate. It made his palms sweaty and his heart race when he thought about it. For years he had been staring at his wrist, trying to will the numbers to countdown faster, and now the day was actually here. Truthfully, Mingyu didn't know how to process it.

“Stop staring at your wrist already,” Minghao groaned. “Just wait on fate.”

“Says the dude who always tried to chase the red string even though you knew it would disappear,” Mingyu snapped back.

Minghao frowned at Mingyu. “Told you that in confidence,” Minghao said.

“S-sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you about it,”Mingyu sighed. He looked back down at his wrist and continued, “It's just you have Jun already, and I just want that to happen to me too.”

Minghao sighed. He walked over and sat next to Mingyu on the couch. “Look, Gyu. I get it. You’ve been waiting a long time, but you've always been so obsessed about this soulmate thing.” Mingyu noticed the worried tone of his voice. “Even now, you are gonna skip on the party to just go walk around until you run into them. You want to control fate.”

“I'm taking it into my own hands now. Isn't that what this clock is telling me to do? Go out and find them now that it is the day.”

“No,” Minghao hissed. “Just because you can't see the string doesn't mean it isn't there. If you become to obsessed with this idea you could ruin what fate has in store. You could mess things up with your soulmate because of your obsession with it,” Minghao said, tears welling. All his advice was coming from experience, and Mingyu knew that. He had heard the stories of Jun and Minghao’s first year after meeting, and all the ups and downs of it.

“You're right, Hao. I just…”

“I know. Just don't make my mistakes.” Minghao pat Mingyu’s back and stood up to go find Seokmin. Mingyu took one last glance at his wrist before buttoning up his sleeve to hide it away.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo tucked his dress shirt into his pants and buttoned up the sleeves. He paused the motion as he spotted the zeros on his wrist. They screamed at him and made his stomach twist with anxiousness. He took a deep breath before buttoning the sleeve and hiding the numbers. Hopefully, the zeroes wouldn't be his focus that night; whatever happened happened.

Soonyoung came out of the bathroom, dark hair styled into a comma look and an all black attire to match. Wonwoo was surprised, considering Soonyoung usually dressed brighter than he did.

“I wanted to give you your gift early,” Soonyoung said, setting a box on Wonwoo’s bed. Wonwoo stared at it for a second before walking over to open it. Inside was a book Wonwoo never thought he would see again.

“How? How did you find this?”

“That doesn't matter.” Soonyoung said nonchalantly.

“Yes it does! I thought mine was the only copy left that's why I cried when someone stole my book bag with it inside!”

Soonyoung just smiled, not wanting to reveal how he found the book that had been most precious to Wonwoo for years. The book had been a gift from his grandfather who said he found it in a local bookstore one day, a name and author no one knew. His grandpa came to love the book and passed it down to his book lover grandson before he passed. Soonyoung always remembered seeing Wonwoo carry around the book, randomly reading sections during their high school days. When the book got unknowingly stolen, Soonyoung made it his mission to find the book in any way he could. Social media was his friend now.

Wonwoo opened the book to the last page and immediately began to cry. In faded pencil, bottom of the last page, was written: “To my grandson, never stop reading.” It was the message his grandpa had left him when he gave the book.

“Its….its my book.”

“You were right when you said it was the only one out there,” 

Wonwoo looked up at Soonyoung, face contorted as he began to sob for real. “Soonyoung...you're s-soulmate is s-so lucky,” Wonwoo said with hiccups between.

“Knew it was a good idea I didn't do this at the party,” Soonyoung giggled as he grabbed tissues for Wonwoo.

 

* * *

 

Seokmin led the way for Minghao and Mingyu as they made their way to the coffee shop the party was being held at. Along the way, he blabbed about how he knew Soonyoung and explained the birthday boy to them so they didn't seem so lost at the party. Minghao listened intently while Mingyu was distracted by each passing person. 

He couldn't help it. He knew Minghao was right and that he needed to just let fate bring them together, but he just wanted to go through the crowd and run into his soulmate. Fate would've accounted for it right?

“Here it is,” Seokmin yelled out. The coffee shop was already full of people, easily noticeable because of the large windows which seemed to surround the whole building. Mingyu could even hear singing from inside which meant a karaoke machine. _ “Very cliche,” _ he thought.

“Soonyoung organized a good party,” Seokmin observed.

“Is this Wonwoo guy his soulmate?” Minghao wondered.

“No, they are just childhood best friends.”

“Do they have soulmates?” Mingyu blurted out before he could stop himself. 

“Neither have met them yet. Soonyoung has one of those matching tattoos while Wonwoo has-”

“Seokmin!” A voice suddenly called out.

“Soonyoung!” Seokmin replied, forgetting about what he was saying to Mingyu. “I brought some friends. Where is Wonwoo?” 

“Making the rounds and meeting people. I will introduce you guys to him later, but for now, you guys need to hop on that karaoke machine!” 

Seokmin gave a hearty laugh as he entered with Soonyoung, but Minghao stopped Mingyu and asked him to take another photo. “The aesthetics of this place work perfectly.”

Mingyu rolled his eyes as he took the phone. Being an Instagram personality was a full time job it seemed. “There. You done with photos for the night?”

“Yes. Now, let's enjoy the party, okay?”

Mingyu nodded as they made their way inside just in time to see Soonyoung and Seokmin belting their hearts out to some pop song. “I don't know them,” Minghao said as he squeezed through the crowd to the counter where a bunch of drinks and snacks were set out for people to take. Mingyu was left awkwardly near the door, not really feeling comfortable enough to journey into the crowd. He decided just to watch Soonyoung and Seokmin finish singing to their heart's content, fighting to see who could go higher. At the last note, Seokmin let loose, and Mingyu was sure the glass windows would shatter.

The crowd gave a big round of applause as they ended, and Mingyu felt Minghao nudge him. “Have a drink. You could use one to loosen up.”

“I'm loose,” Mingyu whinned. 

“Prove it. Let's go chat it up,” Minghao said dragging him through the crowd. 

For the next hour, Mingyu was shuffled around the crowd, chatting with random people for a couple minutes before Minghao dragged him to another spot. Usually, Mingyu would be annoyed, but, with each group he was shuffled to, he hoped it would happen, that he would meet his soulmate. Although, after an hour of no luck, Mingyu pulled away from Minghao, a dark cloud seeming to come over him. 

“I'm gonna take a breather,” Mingyu said before walking outside. Minghao tried to call after him, noticing his sudden shift in mood, but Mingyu moved through the crowd and out the door too fast. Minghao thought he was helping keep Mingyu's mind off the soulmate thing, but it seemed it was completely the opposite. Now, he felt stupid and apologetic.

“Where did Mingyu go?” Seokmin said, suddenly appearing next to Minghao.

“To take a breather he said.”

“Oh well come meet Wonwoo,” Seokmin said, gesturing for Minghao to follow. Minghao looked at the door solemnly before following Seokmin.

 

* * *

 

Mingyu rested against a post outside the coffee shop, watching crowds of people pass by as they made their way to clubs and bars up the street. He could feel tears welling in his eyes. Every passing person was another person reminding him they weren't his soulmate. Today was the day, he thought, so why is it taking so long?

He smacked his forehead, cursing himself for being so obsessed with this soulmate thing that he couldn't even enjoy a night out with friends. “Minghao was right,” he said to himself. “I'm gonna mess things up at this rate.”

Mingyu looked up to the sky, no stars to be seen with all the light pollution. _ “What is your plan, Universe?”  _ Mingyu thought, eyes fixed on the dark sky.

Two girls passing by began to drunkenly laugh loudly, pulling Mingyu's attention to them. He watched as they exchanged looks and stumbled into an alley across the street, making him wonder if there was some dive bar down that way. A couple feet behind them, a man stopped, pulled something shiny from his pocket, and walked after them into the dark alley. The scene made Mingyu uneasy, and his feet moved without any thought.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo had begun to feel tired after having to meet so many new people, all wishing him a happy birthday out of courtesy more than with any real feeling. The sentiments were nice and this many people hadn't wished him happy birthday before, but he just felt a little out of place at his own party.

“How's it going birthday boy?” Soonyoung said, clapping his hand on Wonwoo’s shoulder.

“You weren't kidding when you said you invited a lot of people,” Wonwoo sighed, wishing the night could be over so he could retreat back to his apartment, away from the crowd.

Soonyoung shook his head at Wonwoo. “Anyone of these people could be your soulmate,” Soonyoung pointed out.

“No one so far,” Wonwoo deadpanned. “Also, why are you bringing that up?”

“That's the point of this party. Your time stopped on your birthday which means of course you meet someone at your party.” 

Soonyoung seemed so happy with his observation while Wonwoo narrowed his eyes at him. He couldn't believe this whole thing, pushing him to talk to all these random people, was all so Wonwoo could meet his soulmate. “Not even about my birthday huh?”

“Ah wait no, that isn't what I meant,” Soonyoung tried to say when Seokmin walked up with Minghao.

“Happy Birthday!” Seokmin exclaimed with a wide smile. “I'm Seokmin.”

“I'm Minghao, this guy's friend.”

Wonwoo gave Soonyoung one last cold look before turning to the others, trying to put on a smile for them. “I'm Wonwoo. Thanks for coming.”

“Where is Mingyu?” Soonyoung asked, looking behind them.

“He stepped out,” Seokmin replied.

“He is kind of under the weather,” Minghao continued. “He has been hung up about his soulmate for years, and today is the day.”

Wonwoo choked on his drink a little. Soonyoung noticed, a sly smile coming onto his face. “Wouldn't ya know, same for Wonwoo. His timer ran out today.”

“You have a timer too!” Seokmin looked over at Minghao, “You think?”

“Has to be,” Minghao mused. 

All three turned to stare at Wonwoo who felt like shrinking in on himself. This didn't really feel like fate anymore, but if it was, then it wanted him to run from whatever it's plans were. 

“Maybe you should go bring Mingyu back in here,” Soonyoung teased.

“Or I should get another drink,” Wonwoo said, annoyance in his voice, as he gestured to his empty bottle.

“Come on, Won! That dude has to be your soulmate, and you don't want to rush to see him already?”

“You can't guarantee that guy is my soulmate. Could be anyone I meet tonight and same for him.” 

“God dammit,” Soonyoung hissed. “Your soulmate is practically right in front of you yet you are so numb to it! If my soulmate was right outside-”

“But they aren't, are they?! This is my life, my soulmate so stop butting in on it.” Wonwoo couldn't help the rise in his voice now that his blood was boiling. “It's fucking stupid! So much anxiety about it to the point people will kill themselves if they never find them! I wish these numbers were never even on my wrist,” Wonwoo snapped, storming off into the crowd.

Some people within close vicinity had turned to stare at the scene, making Seokmin nervously laugh and try to direct attention back to everyone just having fun. 

Soonyoung sighed. He ran his hand through his hair and over his face. “I thought I was helping. I guess I should've realized he didn't care about this stuff.”

“Actually, I think he does. I think he is just scared about it,” Minghao pointed out. “Society basically tells us meeting our soulmate is our only purpose in life. Never tell us it isn't all flowers and sunshine.”

“Right,” Soonyoung sighed. “I should go apologize.” Soonyoung dismissed himself and walked through the crowd to find Wonwoo.

Seokmin rested a hand on Minghao's shoulder. “Is everything okay? Ya know, with you and Jun? You've been kind of somber about this soulmate thing lately.”

“It's nothing,” Minghao said, brushing away Seokmin’s hand. “Let's just enjoy ourselves.”

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo tossed his bottle into the waste bin and grabbed another off the counter. He opened it quickly and chugged a bit to calm his anger. Really, he shouldn't be angry with Soonyoung. He just thought he was doing something nice, helping Wonwoo out, but Wonwoo didn't want to deal with those zeros.

Wonwoo looked outside, watching all the smiling people enjoying themselves as they passed by, and noticed someone leaning against a post, back turned to him. The guy was looking up towards the sky, which seemed odd to Wonwoo. 

_ “Maybe it was that Mingyu guy?” _ he thought. 

Wonwoo could feel his chest tighten as he contemplated going outside to meet him. His hand tightened around his bottle as he prepared himself, but, suddenly, the guy took off across the street.

Wonwoo left his bottle on the counter and ran to the door, throwing it open just in time to see Mingyu go down a dark alley. Worry built up uncomfortably in Wonwoo’s stomach, and his legs moved before he could think.

 

* * *

 

Mingyu just kept moving forward, not being able to see in the dark space well. His shoes splashed against random puddles on the ground, and the noise seemed to echo against the walls that almost closed in on him. The buildings around him seemed to rise up and close in on him, blocking out even the sky he had been staring at earlier. He felt his heart rate pick up as he could hear crying become louder and louder. 

He came to an open area of the alley where it met up with another, the two girls and the man below a lone light. A shorter girl, shaking and crying, was near the wall while the taller one shielded her from the man. The taller one had tears streaming down her face, but she tried to keep a strong look about her.

“Get away from us! We don't have anything to give you,” the taller one yelled.

“Oh, you have something,” the man sneered. He looked the girls up and down, even winking at the girl trying to hide. The man reached out with his free hand to grab the taller girl who proceeded to swing her hand at his face. The man snatched her wrist and yanked it behind her back. She stumbled at the sudden jerk and tripped to the side. The man took the opportunity to go for the smaller girl when Mingyu ran up behind him, snaking his arm around the man’s neck. 

Due to their similar size, Mingyu had trouble trying to quickly subdue the attacker. The man was only taken aback for a second, stumbling back into Mingyu’s pull slightly, before he swiped at Mingyu with the knife. Mingyu let go and jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a stab from the knife.

Sadly, Mingyu had lost the element of surprise and was now at a knife fight with nothing but his fists. Although, he hadn't ever been a fighter so they wouldn't do him much good. It also didn't help that his adrenaline was turning into fear, making his hands become clammy and legs shake.

Mingyu felt he was out of his league and should just run, but his eyes flashed back at the girls, now back up by the wall together. If he could distract the man for a couple minutes, they could at least get away. He just hoped they would get his plan without him saying it.

“Probably think you're hot shit cus you're tall, huh? Won't work here,” the man teased as he slowly came up to Mingyu nonchalantly, as if he didn't see Mingyu as any type of threat. Acreepy smirk grew on his face. Mingyu kept taking slow steps back, trying to get the man to move farther from the girls. 

Mingyu’s eyes flashed towards them, making eye contact with the taller one, pleading for them to run. The girl seemed to understand, slowly shifting the younger one towards the connecting alley. Mingyu directed his attention back to the attacker.

“Nice guys like you piss me off,” spat the guy. “Bet ya saw me walk after them, and you couldn't help but save the day huh? Fucking bastard.” The man gripped the knife tightly in his hand. “Just mind your own business!” 

The man lunged forward towards Mingyu, knife brandished, and made a sweeping motion. Mingyu jumped to the side to avoid it and fell to the ground, sliding on the asphalt. The man took more steps towards Mingyu, ferocity in each movement, and sliced his knife in random motions. Mingyu crawled backwards on the floor, trying to avoid every movement the man made.

The taller girl took this opportunity to drag the other towards the escape. The shorter one resisted and said, “How can we leave him?” The taller one didn’t look back and continued to pull on the other’s arm, knowing this was their only chance to run. The man heard the exchange and paused his assault on Mingyu.

He turned to look at the girls, eyes wide and crazy, while pointing the knife at them with a smile on his face. “Fuck you think you girls are going? We still have to have some fun?” The man began to walk after them, turning his back to Mingyu.

Mingyu jumped up from the ground, feet slipping and grinding on the asphalt as he did so. The noise drew the guy’s attention, and he whipped around, blade pointing at Mingyu. This time, he couldn't escape it, and it slid across his chest. His shirt sliced open in a clean line, skin screaming as the blade dug in and across it.

“Ugh,” Mingyu groaned as he stumbled and fell on his back. He reached up to his chest, feeling warm blood began to seep out from the wound. His mouth suddenly felt dry and heart began to race as he looked down. The red on his hands and spreading stain on his shirt made Mingyu feel faint. Everything began to fade in and out as the man approached him, a twisted smile was on his face. “I will enjoy this,” he sneered. 

Mingyu took one last look down at his wrist where all the numbers read zero. Tonight was suppose to be the night. This was suppose to be the countdown to when he met his love, the one he would be with in this life and the next; instead, this clock was just an unknown countdown to his end.

“Life really is cruel,” Mingyu thought as the man posed to thrust down the blade at him.

Just as Mingyu had accepted his end, someone ran up from the side, crashing into the man. They both fell onto the ground, and the knife flew from the guy's hand. Without hesitation, the figure began to punch away at the attacker’s face, no hesitation in their movements.

Each connect between hand and face made grotesque smacking noises, and occasional sound of something breaking mixed in. Even so, the figure didn’t let up as the man went limp under the assault. The raw rage in these movements scared Mingyu more than the man.

The scene pulled Mingyu back to reality, adrenaline coming back to him. “Hey! That's enough!” The boy didn't seem to care and kept wailing on the already passed out attacker. 

“Stop!” Mingyu yelled, reaching out to grab onto the person’s arm. He audibly winced in pain, putting his hands back over his chest wound. Mingyu looked back down at his bloody hands, the woozy feeling overcoming him again. He was sure he was going to faint or throw up when a pair of hands suddenly rested themselves on his own. 

Mingyu’s eyes slowly shifted up to look into those of the person in front of him. His breath caught in his throat.

They were dark and slim eyes, a shimmer and intensity in them Mingyu hadn't seen before. They were so inviting he felt he could fall into them, get lost in their wonder.  _ Were these really the eyes of someone with such rage just a second ago? _ Mingyu wondered. All the pain Mingyu had felt before melted away, giving way to a feeling of warmth that spread throughout his body.

“Do I know you?” Mingyu whispered.

“Probably from another life,” the boy said with a smile.

Mingyu’s knees buckled, but he was unsure if that was because of blood loss or because of the pure beauty this boy's smiling face was. The boy shifted himself so his arm was around Mingyu’s waist, the other holding Mingyu’s closest arm to his chest. “Let’s get you some help.”

 

* * *

 

Soonyoung scanned the street for Wonwoo, wondering where he ran off too. The people in the coffee shop only said they saw him run out the door in a hurry. Soonyoung smacked his head, chastising himself for possibly ruining Wonwoo’s night. 

“Hey! Soonyoung!” 

Soonyoung looked around for the source of the voice and noticed Wonwoo with a guy in a bloody shirt, making there way across the street. People around them gasped and kept asking if he was alright. Wonwoo ignored all those around him and kept walking towards Soonyoung who was already running to meet them. At that moment, Seokmin and Minghao made their way outside, rushing over to the guy too.

“Hao, call for help,” Seokmin instructed as he tried to move Mingyu from Wonwoo.

“I got him,” Wonwoo insisted.

“You need to rest. Your pants are all marked up and you have blood on your hands,” Seokmin pointed out as he supported Mingyu. Wonwoo hadn't even noticed how his knees were bleeding or his hands.

Soonyoung ran up to Wonwoo, grabbing his hands to examine them. “What happened? Are your hands okay? Are you hurt badly anywhere else?”

“N-no. I can't really remember what just happened.”

“Oh no. Did you hit your head? Cmon you need to sit down.”

“I need to be with Mingyu,” Wonwoo said, pushing past Soonyoung. 

At first, Soonyoung was hurt by the action until he noticed the way Wonwoo took Mingyu’s hand in his own, the way they looked at each other. Soonyoung had never seen Wonwoo like that before. At that moment, he knew, and a small smile appeared on his face. It was quickly replaced by a bittersweet taste in his mouth before he pulled himself back to his senses, making his way over to where they sat Mingyu down.

“They are on their way,” Minghao said, kneeling next to Mingyu, Seokmin, and Wonwoo who were seated on the steps of the coffee shop. “How is he?”

“The bleeding seems to have stopped,” Seokmin said, moving Mingyu’s hands away from the wound, “but he is pretty out of it. Could just be from shock because the cut isn't too deep.”

“What happened?” Minghao asked Wonwoo sternly.

“Not sure. I saw Mingyu run down the alley so I followed him. When I got there, a man was standing over Mingyu with a knife and his chest was already cut up.”

“Why didn't you get any of us instead of going after him alone?” Minghao chastised, eyes narrowing at Wonwoo.

“Minghao,” Seokmin warned, tone unusually serious.

“Not like I knew what was going on,” Wonwoo said to Minghao.

Minghao went to say something else when Seokmin said his name again. Minghao saw the look in Seokmin’s eyes and decided against replying any further.

After a couple minutes, paramedics and police arrived. Wonwoo told the police where to find the man while paramedics attended to Mingyu.

“He will need stitches and some fluids, but he should be fine after some rest,” the paramedic said as they loaded Mingyu into the ambulance. 

“Can I go with him?” Wonwoo asked, not wanting to leave his side. 

“Of course, but we will need to examine your hands when we get to the hospital.”

Wonwoo nodded and got in the ambulance, moving to hold Mingyu’s hand again.

“We will meet you at the hospital,” Soonyoung called to Wonwoo before the doors closed.

“Did they find out?” Seokmin asked Soonyoung.

“Yeah, they did. Never seen Wonwoo look at someone like that,” Soonyoung replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice. Minghao noticed the change, glancing over at Soonyoung but not saying anything.

“I am going to tell everyone what happened, then we can go,” Soonyoung said, rushing back into the coffee shop.

Once he was inside, Minghao wondered aloud, “Do you think he has feelings for Wonwoo?”

Seokmin shrugged. “Not sure. It could just be that he is alone now in the ‘doesn’t have a soulmate’ department.”

Minghao just nodded at the reply.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo sat next to Mingyu’s bed, hand all wrapped up, while Mingyu slept. Mingyu’s chest was exposed due to the gauze and bandaging on it. Wonwoo tried not to stare too much out of courtesy for Mingyu.

The area was quiet, only the noise of random footsteps outside and beeping of the machines filled the air. Mingyu’s breathing was soft too, barely audible. Wonwoo reached out towards Mingyu, fingers slowly pushing his hair from his face and caressing his cheek. Suddenly, the curtain opened making Wonwoo pull his hand back towards him quickly. Seokmin, Minghao, and Soonyoung were directed in by the nurse before the curtain was closed again.

“He is asleep?” Seokmin asked.

“Yeah, they gave him painkillers for the stitches which helped him relax. He fell asleep not long before I came in.”

“How is your hand?” Soonyoung asked.

“Lots of bruising and cuts. They bandaged it up, but I need to be careful of infection. Nothing is broken.”

“Good,” Soonyoung sighed.

“Did you know the attacker is here?” Minghao asked. Seokmin slapped Minghao’s chest making the other wince and narrow his eyes.

“Where?” Wonwoo said, rising from his seat.

“Sit down, Won,” Soonyoung scolded, moving over to Wonwoo to push him into his seat.

“Why? That guy deserves a good beating for what he did.”

“Another one?” Soonyoung asked. Wonwoo looked confused. “Your hands Wonwoo. You already beat the dude to a pulp. His nose is crazy broken and he has a concussion. Plus, his face is all scratched and swollen.”

“Oh...right,”Wonwoo nodded, sitting back down slowly, looking down at his hands. Truthfully, the incident was fuzzy to him. He remembered seeing Mingyu bleeding on the ground and carrying him away, but the in between, him attacking the man, was not there.

“You do remember right?” Soonyoung asked, sitting in a chair next to Wonwoo.

Wonwoo frowned. “Not really. I mean I know I did it sort of, but that was just because I remember looking at the dude when helping Mingyu away from the alley.”

“Blind rage attack. Must’ve been all his adrenaline guiding him instead of conscious thought,” Minghao observed.

They all quieted down and sat around Mingyu, waiting for him to wake up. After a couple hours, Wonwoo fell asleep, and Soonyoung put a blanket over him. Seokmin and Minghao watched the simple, caring action and saw the soft look in Soonyoung’s eyes. They really wondered what that backstory was.

“Soonyoung,” Minghao whispered, “how do you know Wonwoo again?”

“Ah from childhood. We are from the same town and just became close one day. We use to fight a lot randomly, and just became friends one day. I can't remember why.”

“Obviously, you aren't soulmates, but was there anything between you guys before?” Seokmin asked directly. Minghao side eyed him, feeling they should've built up to that. 

Soonyoung laughed nervously, shifting slightly away from Wonwoo. “Nothing serious. It was a weird time for both of us, but yeah not soulmates, obviously.” The way Soonyoung said the last line made Minghao and Seokmin feel a wave of sadness roll over them.

“S-sorry for asking.” Seokmin apologized.

As if to save the situation, or to make it worse, Mingyu began to shift around. Minghao jumped to his side. “Gyu? Mingyu wake up,” Minghao encouraged, taking his hand. Seokmin stuck his head out of the curtain and called for a nurse who pushed past Minghao to check Mingyu’s vitals. When he opened his eyes she checked his responses and wrote down something on her clipboard before dismissing herself.

“Hey, Gyu,” Minghao said, making Mingyu slowly turn to look his way, “do you remember anything that happened earlier?”

“I uh went into an alley,” Mingyu said hoarsely, “and Wonwoo was suddenly there.”

“Nothing else?” 

Mingy shook his head. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Wonwoo,” he said as he began to look around until he found the sleeping Wonwoo. He tried to reach out to him, to no avail. “He saved me huh?”

“He did,” Soonyoung said, standing up. He shook Wonwoo’s shoulder to wake him up before gesturing to Minghao and Seokmin that they should leave. Minghao and Seokmin were apprehensive at first, but the three dismissed themselves as Wonwoo stretched awake. As soon as he realized what was happening, Wonwoo reached out for Mingyu’s hand, tears beginning to stream down his face.

“You're okay?”

Mingyu nodded, a smile on his face. Wonwoo liked the way he smiled as it made him smile too. Mingyu pulled on Wonwoo’s hand, urging him to move closer. Wonwoo took the opportunity to take a seat on Mingyu’s bed, still hand in hand.

“Why are your hands all messed up?”

“The others said I beat up that guy who attacked you.”

Mingyu chuckled. “Really? Don't remember that happening. Then again, I was in shock.”

“Don't worry,” Wonwoo chuckled, “I can't remember it happening either. Maybe it was our soulmate moment that is taking up all my memory.”

“Oh yeah,” Mingyu smiled. “Hey soulmate.”

Wonwoo smiled back. “To think I was afraid to meet you.”

“Afraid? How rude. Everyone around me wished I would shut up about my excitement to meet you.” The two laughed together at the contrasts between them. Three listeners outside the curtain couldn't contain their smiles as the two new soulmates began to gush about each other and their happiness upon meeting. Any sad or negative feeling was left in the past after that night.

 

* * *

 

“Thanks for walking me to the bus stop,” Soonyoung said as he pulled out money for the driver.

“No problem. Have fun in Japan, and stay safe, okay?” Wonwoo said with a smile as he held his portable fan closer to his neck. The heat was already getting bad.

“What should I bring you back?” Soonyoung asked as he fanned himself. Hilariously, it was a fan support fan for the group he was a backup dancer for.

“A book.”

Soonyoung rolled his eyes, “You can't even read Japanese, Wonwoo.”

“Then read it for me, and tell me what it is about. And you know I just like to collect books.”

“Oh I know,” Soonyoung sighed as the bus rolled up to the stop. “Well, see you in a couple days.”

“See ya. I’ll make sure to clean your sheets again before you come back.”

“I figured Mingyu would just sleep in your bed.” Soonyoung said with a confused tone.

Wonwoo shook his head quickly. “Dude, it's too early for that.”

“Your past lives together say otherwise,” Soonyoung teased as he quickly jumped onto the bus.

“Hey!” Wonwoo called after him. Soonyoung poked his head out the window above his seat. “Break a leg.”

Soonyoung smiled and waved as the bus departed. As the bus moved into traffic, Wonwoo’s phone buzzed with a message from Mingyu.

 

**From Gyu:**

_ “Just got to the station. Which exit?” _

**To Gyu:**

_ “Go to exit 2. I will be waiting for you.” _

 

Wonwoo quickly ran over to cross the street and settled on a bench near the subway exit. His leg bounced anxiously as he watched the crowd filter out from the station. Mingyu wasn't hard to spot as he towered over everyone else. He was in such a simple but clean looking outfit: white tshirt, jean shorts, and slides to complete the look. Even his slightly messy hair made Wonwoo’s heart flutter.

When their eyes met, Wonwoo stood up and Mingyu gave a wide smile, showing off his canines. The smile reminded Wonwoo of a puppy. Once they were in front of each other, the awkwardness was apparent as neither really knew what to say or do. Mingyu wanted to hug Wonwoo but felt it too odd while Wonwoo thought such a simple greeting was weird between soulmates. Mingyu quickly looked around. 

“Haven't been downtown in a while,” he mused.

“My party was only a stop away from here,” Wonwoo joked.

“Ah right,” Mingyu sighed, feeling a bit dumb.

“Well, my place isn’t right in downtown, just a short walk this way so…” Wonwoo let his words trail off as he gestured for Mingyu to follow him. Mingyu adjusted the duffel bag strap on his shoulder and followed Wonwoo as they weaved through the alley streets. They passed by other couples out for a stroll, outfits either fully matching or coordinating well, as was the social norm. Wonwoo looked down at his black shirt and back at Mingyu’s white one. _ “A ying and yang situation it seemed,”  _ Wonwoo thought.

Wonwoo noticed Mingyu looking around with wide eyes as if the sight was so new to him. It made Wonwoo chuckle. “Never been to the city before?”

“Not these areas. At least, not for awhile. All the money I get from my parents goes to paying rent and school so I rarely go out with my friends.”

“Friends...Minghao and Seokmin right?”

“The main ones, yeah. Others I see mainly at school. A couple people I know because of Hao’s soulmate.”

“He has one?”

“Oh yeah. Name is Junhui but goes by Jun,” Mingyu explained as they got to the building. He kept going as they walked up the stairs, “Guy is back in China right now though. He got a great acting gig.”

“Wow. Minghao miss him?”

“You don't know the half of it. Truthfully, Minghao would kill me for saying this, but he almost ruined their relationship over the gig.”

Wonwoo paused going up the stairs. “Ruined? With his soulmate?”

Mingyu looked somber. “It was a hard couple months. Things are better now luckily, but...well I have said enough.”

“Ah yeah. Not my business,” Wonwoo assured as they continued up. “You said friends from school, where do you study?”

“Seoul National.”

Wonwoo paused on the stairs again. “So do I.”

Mingyu looked up at him with wide eyes. “Really? And I just now met you?”

“Not like you have been going there long,”Wonwoo justified.

“I guess. Wait how do you know?”

“Soonyoung told me Seokmin was only a year younger than us so I figured you were too. I am going to start my third year so, once again, I assumed you were going to be in the year below me.”

“You seem to assume things a lot,”Mingyu chuckled.

“Well I was right,” Wonwoo said as he climbed the last flight.

Wonwoo input the code for the door and held it open for Mingyu. The two slipped their shoes off and put on new slippers Wonwoo had just boughten.

“I remade Soonyoung’s bed for you. Don't worry, he said it was okay for you to sleep there.”

Mingyu nodded as he slowly set his stuff down. Wonwoo sat down on his bed, not really knowing where to go from here. “I’ll uhm...unpack my stuff,” Mingyu said, turning his back to Wonwoo.

Now, Wonwoo was second guessing himself about inviting Mingyu to stay over. Soonyoung had brought up the idea to Wonwoo, not seeing it as an odd suggestion since the two were soulmates aka they were going to be together the rest of their lives, but it was easier said than done. “Just let him stay with you while I am gone. You guys can go out together easily and get to know each other,” Soonyoung had suggested. 

Wonwoo brought up the idea to Mingyu, and, maybe because of his weakened and probably still shocked state, he agreed easily. However, the awkwardness of suddenly staying with each other in such a close space was weighing down on them. As far as Wonwoo knew, Mingyu had never been close to anyone before because of his attachment to the soulmate idea. Luckily, Mingyu had probably assumed the same of Wonwoo and decided not to ask about his past.

He watched Mingyu as he laid out his tshirts and shorts on one side of the bed before moving his bag aside. “Where should I put these?” 

“Ah right,” Wonwoo said, rising quickly to open one of his empty drawers. “Just in here...if that uh...works.”

Mingyu gave a nod and soft smile. Wonwoo sat down again, rubbing his knees and chewing on his inner cheek. The awkwardness in the air was driving him insane with anxiety.

Mingyu finished putting away all his clothes and set the duffel bag at the end of his borrowed bed. He puffed up his cheeks, sticking his hands in his pockets, mulling over what to say. The situation wasn't how either thought it would happen. The soulmate stuff always seemed so easy and clear cut: meet them and spend the rest of your life together. Not many instructions or stories on the in between.

Wonwoo rose and stood in front of Mingyu, their height almost the same, and chewed his lip nervously. He couldn't make eye contact with him as he tried to decide what to do next. 

However, Mingyu decided to make the first move, grabbing Wonwoo’s hands in his own. Wonwoo froze up, feeling the claminess in Mingyu’s palms as they tightened around his own. “If this is too weird for you, then I don't have to stay.”

Hearing those words made Wonwoo’s heart drop. He looked at Mingyu, a comforting yet sad look in his eyes, and felt even worse. The whole point of this was to break down the awkwardness not let it consume them. What they both felt that night was very real, and it pushed Wonwoo to step outside his comfort zone.

Wonwoo moved one of his hands from Mingyu’s to the back of Mingyu’s neck, pulling him in close. He lingered for a second, their lips centimeters from touching, when Mingyu closed the rest of the distance. The sensation of their lips together was almost as amazing as when their eyes first met. A familiar yet foreign feeling as they fell into each other.

Mingyu moved his hands to Wonwoo’s lower back, pulling him closer, and deepening the kiss. Wonwoo let his fingers run through Mingyu’s hair before moving them down to the sides of his face. They slowly separated and giggled at the sudden turn of events. 

“Uh, you want to go eat somewhere?” Wonwoo asked with a shy smile.

“Of course. Wherever you want,” Mingyu said, gesturing for Wonwoo to lead the way.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo smiled down at a sleeping Mingyu, head resting on his chest, and stroked his hair. Under Mingyu’s tank top, Wonwoo could see some bandaging over his chest still, a reminder still of the night not long ago. He wondered if it would scar or fade away just like the numbers on his wrist were doing. 

Mingyu stirred in his sleep, snuggling up closer to Wonwoo, gripping onto Wonwoo’s shirt with one hand. Wonwoo stroked Mingyu’s cheek and looked over at Soonyoung’s empty bed. It was comical that he predicted this, Wonwoo thought.

This must be why no one talked about the in between. Everything became so natural no matter the awkwardness at the beginning. It truly felt like the two had been together for years now, all their past experiences they don’t know of just made everything feel right. The two of them together like this was just right.

“I’m glad I met you Mingyu.” Wonwoo whispered. “I’m glad it was you in this life, the last, and even in the next.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys enjoyed this meeting and story ending wow I reedited this about five times. Did you guys like my hints at what backstory the other member installments will bring??? Please leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this and are excited for the next chapter! Please leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed~


End file.
